One week into the murder trial of Michaela Harte, the frustration of the victim’s family members was evident in court.

Her widower John McAreavey, his father Brendan, sister Claire, and Michaela's brother Mark Harte have all travelled to Mauritius for the murder trial of the two men suspected of killing the 27-year-old teacher from Armagh.

During Monday’s deliberations, Claire McAreavey turned to the crowd in the packed row of public gallery and urged them to be quiet.

"Be quiet please," she said.

John McAreavey is elsewhere on the island, until he is called as prosecution witness later in the week.

The two accused, Avinash Treebhoowoon (30), and Sandip Moneea (42), deny murdering the 27-year-old daughter of Tyrone gaelic football boss Mickey Harte at the luxury Legends Hotel last January.

On Tuesday, a policeman denied claims that he beat and threatened one of the suspects in the case, Breaking News.ie reports.

In the days following the murder, Avinash Treebhoowoon confessed to strangling the Irish language teacher, but now claims he was coerced into making the statement. He claims that he was held under water and that police tried to suffocate him with a towel during his interrogation.

Constable Hans Rouwan Seevathian, who was one of the policemen who arrested Treebhoowoon at the Legends resort, heard in court what the accused claims the officer said to him.

Sanjeev Teeluckdharry, representing Treebhoowoon, said that Seevathian warned his client: "If you don't do what I tell you, I will beat you up again and you know how it's going to be. Listen well, you keep that in your mind."